Keep Your Kids Focused with a Homework Station

Back-to-school season has arrived! Which means back to late-night homework sessions with the kids. Let’s see if we can change things a bit this year by getting kids a little more focused on their homework.

I have a back-to-school tip for you on how to set up a homework station and how to “show and tell” the idea to your family. In addition to my organizing tips, I teamed up with Orange County home stylist, Lenora DeMars of 9/Ten Design to give you her best color tips for a productive homework station.

As you may have already experienced, kids like to do their homework in high-traffic areas of the home like the living room, dining room or kitchen counter. However, kids can be easily distracted when they’re trying to do their homework and their siblings are watching t.v. or playing in the next room. If you think your family could benefit from a homework station, you can set up your own without much effort.

How to set up a homework station:
1. Choose an area of your home where it’s not too isolated, but also not in the middle of everything.

2. Make sure there’s enough lighting- a reasonably-priced desk lamp will do just fine.

3. Set up a table or desk (with or without drawers) with enough space to have a couple of open books. Too much surface area could encourage clutter. Drawers will be needed, but it’s best not to buy them for the top of the table/desk. We want to leave as much surface area as possible for actual homework. Instead, consider purchasing stackable drawers – fit them under the desk to get them out of the way.

4. Choose a low-profile chair. We don’t want a spinning chair to be a distraction.

5. Stock minimal office supplies. Try not to overwhelm the space with too many extras.

6. Put a small open-top trash can beneath the table/desk. We don’t want to give them any reason to leave their homework station while they’re working.

“Show and tell” the new homework station:
1. Explain the purpose of the homework station to your family. When is it to be used? How is it to be used?

2. The homework station should be a non-personalized space. Any member of the family should be able to use it. This way, kids aren’t cluttering up their desk with personal crafts and notes from their friends. It shouldn’t be a place to store random items. Only common-use items the entire family will use- no toys, no games, etc.

3. Create a “homework check” tray, if needed. This will allow homework to be checked even after the kids have gone to bed. Simply check their homework and place it in their backpack for the next morning.

4. Make sure your child has all the necessary tools to do their homework. It’s best if they don’t have to get up to retrieve staplers, markers, etc.

Lenora has a gift for you:
Lenora says, “It’s no secret that color affects our mood. Different shades can help us feel calm, energetic, or in this case, FOCUSED! I can help you get started on selecting colors that will help enhance your kiddos moods to get homework done with style. Since I love color SO MUCH, as a bonus, I’ve created a couple of color combos to get you started. You can use these mini-color palettes to decorate an office or other dedicated homework spot, or even just set up a corner of your kiddo’s room for maximum impact. Not only will these color combos look good together, they’ll also feel motivating and energetic. Let’s get these little ones or big ones plowing through their work.”